CIR LADY MOON TAKES THE LAS DAMAS TO GIVE HER FOUR STAKES WINS AT LOS ALAMITOS IN 2023

       David and Carol Lee’s Cir Lady Moon became the meet’s first four-time stakes winner after posting a ¾ length victory in the Grade 2, $75,000 Las Damas Handicap on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

       Ridden by Armando Cervantes for trainer Monty Arrossa, Cir Lady Moon enjoyed an excellent start in the Las Damas, as she broke much closer than she’s done in her previous local starts. By the midway point of the race, the 5-year-old mare by Moonin The Eagle had a clear lead on Ben Peterson’s Lil Longmire and she remained strong through the lane to post her second her second win in a row.

        Bred by the Gary Robinson Estate, the Utah-bred Cir Lady Moon has won four of seven starts at Los Alamitos this season. Her first start of the meet came on New Year’s Day when she finished second to Koalition in the Dashingly Handicap on January 1. She returned with a pair of stakes wins, first in the Denim N Diamonds Handicap in March and then in the Miss Princess Handicap in May. A second-place finish in the Abigail Kawananakoa and a seventh in the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap slowed her momentum, but she returned to her winning ways by taking the Sound Dash Handicap on October 7. Now she’s the top lady in the Las Damas, giving her four wins against fields of top distaffers here in 2023.

        For her career, Cir Lady Moon has won nine of 19 starts and the $41,250 she earned for winning this race took her lifetime earnings to $171,875.

       “We’ve been blessed with a lot of nice horses from the Northwest, and I can’t thank Dan and Carol Lee enough for sending her to us from Wyoming,” Arrossa said. “She has fit in great here. I give a lot of credit to her groom, Ignacio Montes. He’s done a great job taking care of her and bringing her back for these races. Armando has done a super job (riding). We’ve always felt like she could run with any of these horses if she gets away with them. Tonight, she broke good, as good as she can break, and she was right with them. I’m proud of her. She’s got a lot of heart.”

        Arrossa added that Cir Lady Moon will remain at Los Alamitos and will be pointed to the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap in January of 2024.

       Lil Longmire has crossed the wire second in all three of her Los Alamitos starts this year. She raced behind Toxic Relationship in the Mildred Vessels but was disqualified and placed out of the money after a troubled journey. In her other outing, she was second to Famous Shining Star in the AQHA Los Alamitos Distaff Challenge. Sired by A Revenant, this Uta-bred mare earned $16,875 for her runner-up effort. Lil Longmire has earned $260,281 in 18 career starts. Heath Taylor saddled the Spencer Peterson-bred mare, who was ridden by Jose Nicasio.

      Johnny Trotter’s Famous Shining Star, a three-time stakes winner at Los Alamitos this season, finished third in this race with Cruz Mendez up for trainer Jose Flores. Sweet Tess, Gotta Corona Jess, She Goes Up, Letty Cartel, All Prettied Up, Cayenneoverthemoon, and Jess Dream Of Me complete the field.

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